Playable Characters
Characters 'are featured in the game and are mostly playable on certain playthroughs. Overview The game begins with a group of one to four survivors. It is possible to gain more survivors during gameplay through decisions and events. Each character's story builds as they progress through the game, through choices, suffering, and triumphs. Each character's backstory provides insight to their various attributes. Characters' attributes affect how they interact with the world around them when events occur. Each character has one major attribute and various minor attributes. While major attributes are unique to each character, minor attributes are shared, and vary depending on the character's personality. Characters also have crisis states such as hunger, illness, or depression. It is recommended to keep watch on their states, and respond to their individual needs in order to prevent them, in worst-case scenarios, from leaving the group, committing suicide, freezing, or starving to death overnight. Judging from the Locations screen, the max number of survivors you can have in one full group is 7 characters. ''Note: In one example, the group started with 3 members, then a 4th arrived in about a week, and a 5th joined on day 39. As of update 1.2, you are able to pick your own starting characters. To unlock this feature, the game must be played at least once. List of Characters 70px-Anton.jpg|Anton|link=Anton 70px-Arica.jpg|Arica|link=Arica 70px-Boris.jpg|Boris|link=Boris 70px-Bruno.jpg|Bruno|link=Bruno 70px-Cveta.jpg|Cveta|link=http://this-war-of-mine.wikia.com/wiki/Cveta 70px-Emilia.jpg|Emilia|link=Emilia 70px-Katia.jpg|Katia|link=Katia 70px-Marin.jpg|Marin|link=Marin 70px-Marko.jpg|Marko|link=Marko 70px-Pavle.jpg|Pavle|link=Pavle 70px-Roman.jpg|Roman|link=Roman 70px-Zlata.jpg|Zlata|link=Zlata Brief Overview of Characters Arica - 10 Backpack Spaces Story "I'm a simple girl from the hood and I know life. Street raised me more than my father did. That old sot beat me whenever he felt like it and knew how to make it hurt. That's all over now, he bit the dust in the first days of the war. I've been a cat burglar since I turned 14, you know how it is. I'm better at it than anyone you know and I can sneak like a fox. You'd be a fool kicking me out." Attributes * Arica is not resistant to depression; if broken, she may steal supplies and leave overnight. * Arica is a Smoker - a type of addiction. Arica can use cigarettes to relieve symptoms of depression''. Note: when the necessary ingredient is in your inventory, all smokers will automatically use them.'' * Arica's main attribute is '''Sneak Quietly. Sneak Quietly allows Arica to make less noise in all her actions while on scavenging missions. Less noise means less chance for you to be noticed by potentially-hostile enemies.'' Sneak Quietly also allows her to approach targets from behind and perform a 1-hit take-down with the knife; whereas other playable characters tend to only inflict high damage or fail due to being detected.'' * (needed: resistance to wounds.) * (needed: resistance to illness.) * (needed: combat proficiency.) Gameplay * Arica can be considered a valuable asset if the player is going for an aggressive play-through, as she can sneak and kill enemies more quietly and more efficiently than others. * Arica can be used when a player wishes to sneak through an entire area without engaging in direct combat (e.g Hotel with kidnappers variant). However, her low carrying capacity forces good inventory management. Anton - 8 Backpack Spaces Story "I've been running into either insufferable rubes or outright criminals. But I feel that you're different! And for a scientist with an established position like me, the company of people of comparable mental capacity is paramount. Besides... ah, bloody hell, I can't stand faking it anymore! I'm just an old fart who knows nothing. I'm so grateful for your company. I've been out there alone for too long. Way too long." Attributes * (needed: resistance to depression.) ** Anton cannot drink liquor in order to relieve symptoms of depression. * Anton has no addictions. * Anton's main attribute is Good Mathematician. Good Mathematician allows Anton to set traps more efficiently (they seem to catch food faster/more often). *Good Mathematician makes Anton better at relieving depression. (*not confirmed) * (needed: resistance to wounds.) * (needed: resistance to illness.) * (needed: combat proficiency.) Gameplay * Anton is not a popular character because his benefits seem unclear or lacking. * He can be found in the Passive Variant of Day One. Boris - 17 Backpack Spaces Story "I'm not big with words. I'm just a regular guy, I used to stack stuff on night shift at a warehouse, by hand mostly. It was a tough job, but I was always strong, even when I was a kid. Now this place is gone, shelled to hell, and so is my home. My foot was crushed under the rubble. It has healed, but it's still a bit stiff, so I can't run very fast. But I can carry more than anyone I know." Attributes * Boris is resistant to depression. * Boris is a Smoker ''- a type of ''addiction. Boris can use cigarettes to relieve symptons of''depression''.Note: when the necessary ingredient is in your inventory, all smokers will automatically use them. * Boris' main attribute is Strong but Slow. Strong but slow gives Boris an inventory capacity of 17, allowing him to scavenge enormous amounts of materials in one run. No other characters has this amount of carrying capacity. However, he moves much slower than other characters, so running from hostiles is difficult and crossing Sniper Junction ''is very risky, but possible. * ''(needed: resistance to wounds.) * Boris has a considerably higher resistance against sickness than other characters. * Boris has high combat proficiency. (Note: combat proficiency may involve multiple inputs: attack speed, damage, health, resistance to wounds.) * Boris only appears as a starting group member in Winter. * Boris is not fond of killing people, even bandits and looters. Killing at least 3 bandits/looters/soldiers will cause him to become sad. Gameplay * Boris is a very valuable asset in any kinds of play-through, whether it be aggressive or passive. He fights well and carries a lot, but is not great at sneaking. * Boris can be sent to clear out looting areas very quickly, making resource-gathering less of a pain. Entire locations can be cleared out in two or three days. * If using the Market Exploit (see Central Square), Boris is the prime candidate to carry as much resources back as possible, as trade value here is not a larger concern over carrying capacity. Bruno - 10 Backpack Spaces Story "Before the war, I used to own a restaurant. I even had my own TV show: "Bruno's Cuisine", I'm sure you've seen it. I visited beautiful places where I was filmed cooking exquisite dishes. All of that seems of no importance now, don't you think? Nowadays, you're lucky if you get your hands on some canned meat or a bag of rice. And who knows how long this war is going to last." Attributes * Bruno is resistant to depression''.'' * Bruno is a Smoker- a type of addiction. Bruno can use cigarettes to relieve symptoms of depression. Note: when the necessary ingredient is in your inventory, all smokers will automatically use them. * Bruno's main attribute is Good Cook. Good Cook allows Bruno to make food with less fuel and water. He also uses less ingredients while crafting (example Moonshine & Medicine). He also use less ingredients to make med pills for upgraded herbal workshop. * (needed: resistance to wounds.) * (needed: resistance to illness.) * (needed: combat proficiency.) * Bruno only appears as a starting group member in Summer. Gameplay * Bruno is a decent character to have, as he makes crafting and cooking slightly easier. If a player wishes to make lots of medicine and alcohol for crafting and trading, Bruno becomes a great character to have. Cveta - 8 Backpack Spaces Story "Oh dear, that is embarrassing. I know I'm not much of an asset in this terrible situation. I have good administrative and logistical skills, which won't be of any use, given the circumstances. I'm told I'm a good caregiver - I really love kids. On the other hand, perhaps it's good that they don't have to suffer here with us... What else I have a driver's license... sorry, that was my poor attempt at a joke." Attributes * Cveta is not resistant to depression. * Cveta has no addictions. * Cveta's main attribute is Loves Children. When Cveta is in the group, random gifts from neighbors seem to be more generous and frequent. It is unknown what "Loves Children" gives Cveta, however it may give her increased happiness when neighbor quests are completed. * (needed: resistance to wounds.) * (needed: resistance to illness.) * (needed: combat proficiency.) Gameplay * Cveta is one of the least popular characters, since she has only 8 inventory slots and poor combat proficiency. Emilia - 10 Backpack Spaces Story "Now that we're stuck together, I might as well tell you about me and my family. Father was a very practical man. He always reminded us of the importance of financial safety. That's why I became a lawyer like him, and my sister was to become a doctor. When the war broke out, we had a lot of savings on our family account. But the currency soon lost all value, the banks were closed and we had no foreign cash. In a matter of days we became poor." Attributes * Emilia is not resistant to depression. * Emilia is a Coffee Drinker ''- a type of ''addiction. Emilia can use water and coffee to relieve symptoms of depression''. Note: when the necessary ingredient is in your inventory, all coffee drinkers will automatically use them.'' * Emilia's main attribute is Talented Lawyer. Events that improves or worsens morale has reduced effects on her (Possibly has better bartering skills than everyone except for Katia). * (needed: resistance to wounds.) * (needed: resistance to illness.) * (needed: combat proficiency.) Gameplay * Emilia is a standard character, but has the saving grace of being immune to most sources of sadness. This allows the player to disregard some concerns when raiding or stealing. Katia - 12 Backpack Spaces Story "I grew up in this city, but went abroad to study and started working as a reporter. I'd been away for years. When the troubles escalated into a war, I was picked to write reports on it. I'd have volunteered anyway, I was so anxious to check on my parents. But it was too late. I found my house in ruins, my family had disappeared. I've been looking for them ever since." Attributes * Katia is not resistant to depression. * Katia is a Coffee Drinker ''- a type of ''addiction. Katia can use water and coffee to relieve symptoms of depression''. Note: when the necessary ingredients are in your inventory, all coffee drinkers will automatically use them.'' * Katia's main attribute is Bargaining Skills. This attribute allows Katia to make better deals in trades with traders. * Katia is a skilled guitar player. * (needed: resistance to wounds.) * (needed: resistance to illness.) * (needed: combat strength.) Gameplay * Katia is a valuable asset to any player that trades frequently, as her ability allows her to even make a decent deal with Franko, who has notoriously steep prices. * She is one of the most common starting characters of the game, along with Pavle. Marin - 10 Backpack Spaces Story "Something broke? I can fix it. Any worthless trash lying around? I can make plenty of useful stuff out of junk. And I don't waste material - all of them, parts, bits of wood, plastic pipes ... and all of the other ... things. I know how to make tools, furniture, stoves, heaters, whatever. Given enough time, I could make this place look almost like a proper home. I wish it was equally simple with mine." Attributes * Marin is resistant to depression. * Marin is a Coffee Drinker - a type of addiction. Marin can use water and coffee to relieve symptoms of depression''. Note: when the necessary ingredients are in your inventory, all coffee drinkers will automatically use them.'' * Marin's main attribute is Handyman. Handyman allows Marin to use fewer materials to make appliances and improvements to your house. This saves enormous amounts of materials over time (especially useful in Winter, when fuel is needed). Constructing items takes the same amount of time, however. * (needed: resistance to wounds.) * (needed: resistance to illness.) * (needed: combat proficiency.) Gameplay * Marin can launch build projects at the workbench with fewer materials, but any character can be sent to do the work instead. This trick allows multiple builds to happen simultaneously while Marin stays near the workbench and the other survivors spend their time building. Marko - 15 Backpack Spaces Story "I thought I'd been through hell before. I'm a fireman. I've entered blazing buildings to save lives more times than I care to remember. But back then I had people teamed up against a common foe, namely the fire. Nowadays, your former neighbor can kill you because your grandparents spoke a different language than his. This is true hell on Earth." When Marko appears alone, he will talk about himself when he was still a fireman before the war. For example, he will mention that he once rescued a woman called Alina and was going to marry her. This can also happen when the others he started with are all dead. Attributes * Marko is not resistant to depression. Marko will get depressed or broken if he kills people. Sleeping or drinking will improve his status. * Marko has no addictions. * Marko's main attribute is Good Scavenger. Good Scavenger gives Marko the second largest inventory capacity of 15 (second to Boris' 17). Marko also seems to open scavenger items more quickly. * (needed: resistance to wounds.) * (needed: resistance to illness.) * (needed: combat proficiency.) * Marko only appears as a starting group member in Summer, but may join your group during winter campaigns. Gameplay * Having little cons and a great ability, Marko is a great character to have, having an inventory capacity similar to Boris but also moving faster. He can empty out areas while still being able to sneak decently. Pavle - 12 Backpack Spaces Story "Before this whole mess begun, I lived with my wife and son in the better part of the city. I haven't seen them in a long time, I hope they are okay. I'm not doing so well, as you can see. Who needs football players during war? Nobody cares about sports when every day can be their last. So I scavenge the ruins like everyone else, hoping for the best." Attributes * Pavle is not resistant to depression. * Pavle has no addictions. * Pavle's main attribute is Fast Runner. Fast Runner allows Pavle to run through scavenging sites and away from hostiles faster. It also decreases his chances to be shot by a sniper. * (needed: resistance to wounds.) * (needed: resistance to illness.) * (needed: combat proficiency.) Roman -''10 Backpack Spaces'' Story "I never thought I'd end up running and hiding from my buddies. But that's how things turned out. We were like brothers, and now I'm a dead man to them. My crew had ruled the 'hood since we were teens until just before the war. Then some of us got drafted, like my best friend Leon, others like me volunteered for the militia. It was going to be the ultimate showdown and every single one of us wanted a piece of the action." Attributes * Roman is resistant to depression. However, if he becomes broken, he might steal supplies and disappear overnight. * Roman is a Smoker ''- a type of ''addiction. Roman can use cigarettes to relieve symptoms of depression. Note: when the necessary ingredient is in your inventory, all smokers will automatically use them. * Roman's main attribute is Trained in Combat, presumably giving him the advantage of dealing damage with all weapons. * (needed: resistance to wounds.) * (needed: resistance to illness.) * Roman has the highest combat proficiency ''of any playable character. ''(Note: combat proficiency may involve multiple inputs: attack speed, damage, health, resistance to wounds.) * Bruno and Roman do not see eye to eye. (Note: In one example, Roman often argues with the group. Whether this is affected by group composition needs to be experimented on further.) Zlata - 12 Backpack Spaces Story "I was just accepted to the music academy when the war broke out. I had so many plans, I had dreams. I used to play the guitar, date boys, dance. My little brother Tadei always made me smile. It all seems a dream now, replaced by this nightmare we live in. Yet, I still hope one day we can forget the war and carry on with our lives as if it never happened." Attributes * Zlata is not resistant to depression''.'' ** Zlata is skilled at playing Guitar, which can treat symptoms of depression. * Zlata has no addictions. * Zlata's main attribute is Bolsters Spirits. This allows her to more effectively console members who are broken or have depression. It is unclear if this skill also gives her entire group increased resistance to depression. * (needed: resistance to wounds.) * (needed: resistance to illness.) * (needed: combat proficiency.) Character Groups Despite initial theory, each starting group of survivors is not random! Groups contain members which offer a range of benefits through primary attributes. Winter groups tend to give more benefits to the conservation of materials and morale of the group. Summer groups tend to focus more on scavenging ability and combat proficiency. Some characters are only given as starting characters in the Winter (Boris and Marin), and others in the Summer ''(Bruno and Marko). The characters who join the group later appear to be random, and are not bound by seasonal rules. Any Season Starting Groups * Zlata, Pavle, Anton, Cveta (one starts off sightly sick or sick) * Katia, Roman (one starts off wounded) * Anton, Cveta (if Winter, starts with two beds and a chair) * ''(please add more as they are discovered.) Summer Starting Groups * Pavle, Bruno, Marko (One is slightly sick and another is slightly wounded, which ones vary) * Pavle, Bruno, Katia * Arica, Roman, Bruno * Pavle,Bruno,Marko,Boris(One May Start Off Slightly Wounded And/Or Sick) * Zlata, Roman, Bruno * Arica, Marin, Katia (One starts off slightly sick) * Emilia, Zlata * Emilia, Roman * Marko * Roman, Katia (One starts off wounded) * Anton, Cveta, Pavle, Zlata (One starts off sick) * Cveta, Anton * (please add more as they are discovered.) Winter Starting Groups * Marin, Boris, Emilia (One starts off slightly sick) * Arica, Marin, Katia (One starts as slightly sick. Can also start in late Autumn.) * (please add more as they are discovered.) Character Types Characters can be separated into multiple categories or types. Each type of character benefits the group in a particular way through their primary attribute. Categories include Scavenging, Home Improvement, and NPC Interaction. Because of the nature of these categories, characters with high combat proficiency are added to both Scavenging and Home Improvement categories. (Note: please add more/ adjust categories as more is learned.) Scavenging (Note: Scavenging characters range in inventory capacities and combat proficiency. They each serve very specific purposes in scavenging tailoring to particular circumstances. As scavenging is your primary means of gathering items required for survival, their health should be a primary concern along with characters with high combat proficiency.) * Pavle - his Fast Runner attribute helps him evade sniper fire and run from hostiles faster. He can also run through scavenging sites faster. He has 12 inventory slots, making him a fairly good option for scavenging in general. * Arica - her Sneak Quietly attribute helps her evade hostile NPC's at scavenging sites. Arica only has 10 inventory slots, limiting her usefulness while scavenging. She should only be used when hostile NPC's are present and you do not want to risk combat. * Boris - his Strong but Slow attribute gives him a massive inventory (17). Given that he is only given as a starting character in the Winter, Boris is primarily useful to transport large amounts of materials to compensate for the need for fuel. * Marko - his Good Scavenger attribute gives him 15 inventory spaces. Marko is only available in the Summer. He can be considered as the Summer version of Boris. * Roman - his Trained in Combat attribute gives him the highest combat proficiency in the game. However, he only has 10 inventory slots, limiting his usefulness while scavenging. He should only be used when hostile NPC's are present and you do want to risk combat. Home Improvement (Note: Home Improvement characters usually have low inventory capacities. They also generally have low combat proficiency. They should seldom be used for scavenging. Their health should be prioritized below Scavengers and those with high combat proficiency, but above NPC Interaction characters. Home Improvement characters generally have heightened resistance to depression which helps to reduce required maintenance.) * Marin - his Handyman attribute allows him to build things with far fewer materials. Marin serves the primary purpose of conserving materials in building to be used instead for fuel. * Bruno - his Good Cook attribute allows him to save fuel and cook faster. Bruno is only available as a starting character in the Summer. He can in many ways be considered as the Summer version of Marin. * Zlata - her Bolsters Spirits attribute allows her to be highly effective in helping other characters through depression. Zlata is only available as a starting character in the Winter ''and serves the primary purpose of preserving moral within the group. Zlata's role is secondary to other Home Improvement Characters, as she is useful in less common circumstances. NPC Interaction ''(Note: NPC Interaction characters usually have low inventory capacities and combat proficiency. Their roles are tailored toward specific special events and and quests that are encountered throughout gameplay. As such, they should be used as scavengers only when their primary attribute can we used. Their health should be prioritized behind other types of characters. Exception: Roman - high combat proficiency.) * Katia - her Bargaining Skills attribute allows her to trade with merchants and civilians at better prices. Katia's primary attribute is the most commonly called for among NPC Interaction characters. Katia has an inventory capacity of 12, making her a decent scavenger, especially when a Possible Trade is available. Also, trading with merchants makes her content. * Anton - the benefits of his Good Mathematician attribute are that he is more efficient at setting traps (they seem to catch food faster/more often). * Roman - his Trained in Combat attribute gives him the highest combat proficiency in the game. Roman is a very good option to have Guard your shelter at night against looters. While this is an indirect form of NPC Interaction, it is one of the most useful and commonly required. Also, despite his low inventory capacity (10), he can be extremely useful in special events where hostile NPC's are present. * Cveta - the benefits of her "Loves Children" attribute are still unknown, but it most likely givers her particular special event advantages. It seems that random neighbor gifts are more frequent when Cveta is in play.